


Expiration Date

by noondreams



Category: Zombieland (2009)
Genre: Gen, Yuletide 2009
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-12-21
Updated: 2009-12-21
Packaged: 2017-10-04 22:14:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,353
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/34664
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/noondreams/pseuds/noondreams
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The best good-byes do not include blood and screaming.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Expiration Date

**Author's Note:**

  * For [csi_sanders1129](https://archiveofourown.org/users/csi_sanders1129/gifts).



Wichita stomped on her empty can of Orange Crush before tossing it into a red recycling can. "Little Rock and I are headed south with the others."

Columbus took a sip from his still full Coke and nodded his head a little. "I think that's probably your best move."

***

The foursome had been slowly making their way north through California, no particular destination in mind. They stayed off the major highways as much as possible – abandoned cars and trucks were too thick for safe driving, especially around larger cities.

Tallahassee had been teaching Little Rock some of his zombie versus car techniques. She already had the basics down – only thirteen years old, and the kid could have been a freaking NASCAR driver with the chances she took.

Columbus didn't think he was capable of the split-second timing Tallahassee and Little Rock employed, but he had to admit it was a kick to see some zombie go flying after a clip from the Redneck Hummer.

The days began to take on a comfortable routine. An hour or so before sunset, they would follow the map to a likely highway town – plenty of light left to find a likely place to spend the night. Tallahassee preferred gun stores or sporting good stores, while Wichita favored small mall stores. All three choices brought the advantage of barred entrances and a chance to re-stock everything except food. And MRE's weren't food, no matter what Tallahassee said.

Gated mansions were alright too, but so far, Columbus had been able to talk them out of that option. And none of them wanted to stay in the smaller homes that bordered the back roads. They never spoke about it directly, but places that used to be homes were too personal, full of the memories of the families that used to live there, all lost now.

Wichita was driving when they took an exit off the highway and started looking for a likely place to spend the night. She hit the brakes with no warning and thank God she had already dropped off from highway speeds or all three passengers would have been sailing through the windshield.

"Okay, I'm officially re-instating Rule #4."

"Little Rock, what's wrong?" Wichita had already recovered from the surprise and was reaching up front towards her sister.

"I saw ..." And the kid was off like a rabbit, door flung open, running across the road towards a strip mall.

Wichita was right behind her, not even pausing to grab her shotgun from the floor where it had fallen.

"They left their guns." Columbus sat stunned for half a second, then grabbed his and Wichita's weapons up, pausing to make eye-contact with Tallahassee.

"Yeah, go, I'll be right behind you." He was already sliding across to the driver's seat.

Columbus took off jogging behind the girls, who had already disappeared around the corner of the ubiquitous small town storefront. He juggled the guns, tucking Wichita's under his free arm while bracing his own to his shoulder, trying to get it ready in case he came face to face with a zombie who still had enough fight in it to try to take a bite out of him.

For a second, he wondered about the sister's impulse control problem. First ringing the dinner bell at Pacific Park, now running head first into who the hell knew what.

As he turned the corner, shotgun up, he prepared himself for the worst, and stopped. "Huh. Not a zombie."

***

After finishing his talk with Wichita, Columbus made his way over to where Tallahassee had parked the H2. He was watching Little Rock talk to a family of five; one of the kids looked like she was the same age. Columbus hitched himself up onto the hood next to him.

"So, the whole convoy is made up of family members and neighbors. They holed up in someone's basement during the outbreak. One of them had an old ham radio, and he's been talking to someone in Texas who says their whole town only had a small outbreak and no travelling hordes." He pushed himself a little further back along the hood so that his legs weren't dangling over the side anymore. Rule #26: Watch out for crawlers.

Tallahassee glanced over at him and asked, "Are you going with them?"

"Are you?"

Wichita had wandered over to stand next to her sister, chatting with the youngish woman who looked like she was probably the family's mother, while Little Rock showed off the smooth action of her shotgun to the oldest daughter.

Tallahassee spoke again, "Nope. I'm going to head east a ways, see what I can find, kill a few zombies. Maybe make it to Florida, maybe not."

Columbus fiddled with the string on his hoodie, then rubbed his hand along his jeans. "I don't suppose you could use some company?"

Tallahassee didn't smile, but crinkles showed up at the corners of his eyes. "I wouldn't say no."

"Well alright then, that's settled." Columbus jumped off the Hummer, stumbled a little, but managed not to face-plant himself. "Don't say anything."

"Not a word."

***

The next morning dawned with no sign of zombies drawn by the presence of living people.

"Are you sure you don't want to take the truck?"

Columbus jammed his hands into his pockets, promising himself he wouldn't reach out and ask her not to go.

"No thanks. We're going to catch a ride with the Johnsons until we find something for ourselves. Janet said she'd show us how to weld on some extra protection."

"Good choice. That thing is less of an RV and more of a tank."

Little Rock and Tallahassee were standing next to the modified vehicle, saying their good-byes. The girl's bottom lip was quivering a little, but she managed not to cry.

A snippet of their conversation drifted over, "and if any man or boy says something that makes you feel uncomfortable, don't try to shrug it off or change the conversation. Just use the taser. Twice, to make sure he gets the message."

Little Rock laughed and rubbed at her eyes a little.

Wichita held out a scrap of paper to him. "Here, this is a list of the radio frequencies we'll be using, if you need to get in touch with us."

He took it from her. "Thanks."

She held out a map. "This has the town we're headed to marked on it. If you meet up with a group of fifty or less who wants to join us, you can give them one of the frequencies, but keep the map to yourself."

"Right. Wouldn't want anyone coming down to play Road Warrior with you."

"Yeah." She smiled and tucked some hair behind her ear. "Listen, I wanted to say thanks for all you did…"

He held up his hand. "Don't worry about it. It was nice spending time with a girl who didn't try to eat me."

Wichita threw her arms around him, squeezing hard enough to hurt his ribs. "Take care of yourselves."

She broke off and headed over to the RV, pausing to give Tallahassee a short hug before joining her sister inside.

Little Rock cracked open a window on the side of the vehicle, shouting at him through the razor wire. "Don't get yourself eaten, wing nut."

He waved back at her, "I'll be alright even without you around to protect me, short-stack."

She flipped him the bird before waving cheerfully as the line of armored cars, trucks, and RV's made their way back onto the highway.

He stood next to Tallahassee as they watched the last of them disappear down the road.

"So, I hear that Chicago has a hell of a zombie problem."

"Chicago, huh?"

"Yep. Also, a Twinkie factory."

Tallahassee grinned and gave him a soft shove.

"Sounds better than standing around here with our thumbs up our butt."

"Vivid." He opened the passenger door and hopped in, clicking on his seatbelt.

Tallahassee cranked up the engine and hesitated before reaching up and putting on his own seatbelt.

"So, tell me about these rules of yours."

 

The End


End file.
